Remember San Franciscans to get out there and vote this Tuesday!

Don't let scheduling or accessibility deter you from voting:

I just received a phone call from the Matt Gonzalez for SF Mayor campaign. They wanted me to let as many people know as I could about a couple of things.

Whoever you're voting for, this information might be useful to you:

1. If Tuesday is not a convenient day for you, you can also vote Sunday from 10-4pm, or Monday from 8-5 am at City Hall.

2. If you need any assitance to the polling place, or have basic questions about your polling place, etc., you can call 415-734-9340 ext 325, and they will assist you in getting to the polls or with basic information.

Every vote counts people!

This is a great opportunity to put San Francisco on a more progressive track.

Please do your best to get to the polls this Tuesday and Vote For Matt Gonzalez.

Steve Rhodes asked me to ask Tom Ammiano the following question:

"Ask him what he thought of Bruce Brugmann's endorsement of Angela and if it
was a bit hypocritical for a paper that has decried the influence of money
in politics gave one reason for supporting her that she is rich and can
spend her own money in the runoff."

Steve
http://ari.typepad.com

So I did. Here's
Tom's Response (Small - 3 MB)

So I've let Tom talk a lot about how he feels about the various issues, and I suppose my strategy was that doing so would speak for itself with regard to why I'm supporting him for Mayor.

However, as I was wrapping up my archive of his interview, I came across this clip (5 MB) of him explaining in more detail about the six million dollar renewable federal grant he was able to obtain from the Shrub Administration.

This achievement demonstrates several of the reasons why I think Tom would be a great mayor:

1. His ability to work within the system to accomplish results, even if the people running "the system" are questionable, to say the least.

2. His ability to create "real" solutions to "real" problems, such as homelessness, as opposed to taking the easy way out, like blaming the victims. (Such as I believe to be the case with "Care Not Cash" and its new bastard brother Proposition M.)

3. His ingenuity in coming up with something like a renewable grant that can continue to bring money into the city to help the less fortunate, rather than come up with strategies that will actually cost the city over $900,000 and give police unprecedented power to arrest people for literally doing nothing.

But I'll let Tom explain the details to you in his own words:

Tom Ammiano On The 6 Million Dollar Renewable HUD Grant (Small - 5 MB)

The words below came after our discussion of Prop M (2 MB).

Tom: "...like my ability to get six million bucks from the Bush government two weeks ago, so we could have supportive housing and services for the mentally ill and homeless. Now that's real, and that's happening as we speak."

Lisa: "Right. I actually wanted to ask you more about that, because you brought that up in the debate. (6 MB) After a Judge sort of threw out "Care Not Cash" that you were able to get some money to actually build some housing? Could you talk some more about that?"

Tom: "Yeah. It's not for "building housing," actually, but I understand why people think that. I mean it could eventually. But it's six million bucks of support from HUD, which is Bush, and I actually worked with Mayor Willy Brown.
See, because, what Gavin has not been able to do is take the partisanship out of the issue. And I'm willing to sit down with whomever and even compromise, so that we come up with real solutions. So it's six million bucks from HUD for supportive housing and direct services."

"So you take a hotel that's there already and you rehab it. And we've done this, but only for a very tiny amount of people. You rehab it and provide the room, which is housing, particularly for the mentally ill and people who have been ill and homeless on our streets for over a year. That's about 2,000 of them -- even if "Care Not Cash" was something that could work, it wouldn't affect these people, because they're mostly under SSI and Federal programs -- and then provides all the services right there in that facility. And we've already started in the Bay View little Ramada Inn there, has been rehabed. A woman named "Mother Brown" is actually the recipient of some of this money. And the rooms are full already with the services being provided and we're going to expand that so we can meet the needs of 1,000 or more people that are on our streets. And this is a renewable grant. That's the beauty of it. So, with our success that we're proving this year, we have a really great shot at getting that six million next year as well. So that, again, that's real."

How I'm voting this Tuesday

This footage is from October 31, 2003.

Here's
Tom Ammiano explaining why he's a better choice for Mayor than Angela Alioto. (Small - 3 MB)

Lisa:

The other person I wanted to ask you about was Angela Alioto.

Tom:

Well, you know, Angela is a very interesting person. She has a lot of personality, but I don't think she has a lot of substance. I worked with her on the Board many years ago, and she can certainly put her heart behind an issue. But when it really came to taking on business, and when it really came to taking on established practices, she's more a woman of Pacific Heights.

I think people need to remember that this is also a "money" person. Now a money person doesn't have to be necessarily an "evil" person. However, I think there is a disconnect with a lot of the working class people and culture in San Francisco. I think she's been somewhat removed, and she certainly has interrupted her political career for the past 12 years, and I don't think she's in the loop in the same way. She didn't support District Elections, and now she says she does.

So there's a lot of reinvention on her part, and I think it would be a big mistake to have her as Mayor of San Francisco. I think, we'd, if anything, have some chaos. If you look at her contributors, they're a lot of the same developers that have been around for a long time, and lobbyists, and we've really gotten away from that. We certainly don't want a mayor that encourages that. And definitely Newsom could do the same thing.

How I'm voting this Tuesday

This footage is from October 31, 2003.

Here's
Tom Ammiano explaining why he's a better choice for Mayor than Gavin Newsom. (Small - 4 MB)

Lisa:

What separates you from Gavin?

Tom:

Well, I think there's a class background that can't be discounted. And, as with Matt, the number of years of legislative history. He's pretty skimpy. He's been on about as long as Gonzales, but he hasn't really accomplished very much.

Also, he doesn't get along with any of the Board members. He's at war with most of them. It's one thing to fight with people. We all do that. You want that in a democracy. It's not "the Stepford Supervisors" by any means. But then there's a time to put it aside and work in a common way. And I don't see that with Newsome in any way. So, he gets elected Mayor and we're going to have that wide gap again between Supervisors, elected by neighborhoods by the way, and a Mayor who does not like District Elections and wants to go backwards.

He's supported by Feinstein. Feinstein wants to end District Elections. She's not supportive of comperable work. She's not supportive of police reform. So he, really, for a younger person, really does not represent the future. He represents the past and going backwards, and I think that's a big difference.

How I'm voting this Tuesday

This footage is from October 31, 2003.

Here's
Tom Ammiano explaining why he's a better choice for Mayor than Matt Gonzales. (Small - 5 MB)

Lisa:

What separates you from Matt Gonzales? A lot of people are on the fence about who they're going to vote for, and I thought we could clear that up.

Tom:

Well, a lot more years of experience. And legislative history. I know that sometimes people think "gee, legislative history" is a little boring. However, I come from this activist background. And then, when I was about 49, I took all the social justice issues I knew about and all the populist issues I knew about and put them together and got elected, and I've been enacting those for years.
Living Wage, District Elections, Environmental Issues, and I think that that's a big difference.

Also, I taught school for 25 years, and I think that taught be a lot about not only the economy, but about the diversity in San Francisco, and the job market in San Francisco, and I'm very very supportive of public schools, and I have that hands on experience. And I have a kid, and my kid went to public schools.

So, you know, I think someone like Gonzales is going to find out that there ain't no free lunch for anybody, and you just can't coast on rhetoric and verbage or personality. You're really going to have to prove that you've produced something other than a different voice...

I think my legislative history -- the length of it, the social justice ground, the comprehensive and very wide wide number of issues I've dealt with over the years -- I think that's what people would like to see in a Mayor.

I think Tom Ammiano is the best choice for the next mayor of San Francisco.

I'm providing some clips of him from the debate to give you a better idea about who he is and where he stands on the issues.

This clip is from the Mayoral Debate that aired on KPIX Channel 5 on Tuesday, October 14, 2003.

Tom Ammiano On Allocating Funds To Defend Tenants From Unfair Evictions (Small - 4 MB)

Question from Hank Plante:

Plante: "Supervisor Ammiano. You and I have talked about the fact that you support using public funds for lawyers to defend tenants in some wrongful eviction cases. There was a letter to the editor in the Chronicle this week that says "well, does Ammiano also have a plan to provide lawyers to the landlords who are abused by publicly-funded lawyers?"

Ammiano: "Who wrote that letter? Was that you Hank? You know, Supervisor Yee, some years ago, did introduce legislation that would provide eviction assistance to landlords who felt that they were victimized by tenants and that passed. We all voted for that. The issue of supplying community groups for defense of unjust evictions has precedence in New York, has precedence actually here in San Francisco. So, you know, as long as there's balance, I don't see anything wrong with that. And I also think, when we do contract with community groups or non-profits, we do ask them to provide services that ordinarily the city cannot provide. I don't see a balanced approach being a wrong approach in this case. I do think there are people, landlords, small landlords particularly, you have to distinguish between small landlords and ones like Leona Helmsley, and tenants who do not have the wherewithall to take legal action when they're facing an unjust eviction. So, I don't have a problem with that, and I also don't think that means an either or situation, as the letter writer was advocating.

I think Tom Ammiano is the best choice for the next mayor of San Francisco.

I'm providing some clips of him from the debate to give you a better idea about who he is and where he stands on the issues. (Complete transcript available below.)

Below: Tom holding up his Muni Fast Pass

This clip is from the Mayoral Debate that aired on KPIX Channel 5 on Tuesday, October 14, 2003.

Tom Ammiano On Parking vs. Public Transit (Small - 6 MB)

Question from Rachel Gordon:

Gordon: "Supervisor Ammiano. You've been a solid supporter of the city's "Transit First" policy, but there are a lot of people who live in San Francisco, who visit the city, who have stores in the city, that say "There's just not enough parking." It's really a maddening situation for a lot of folks. Number one: Do you think that there's a parking problem in San Francisco? And if you do, how should that problem be addressed?"

Ammiano: (Holds up his Muni Fast Pass high, and then puts it back in his pocket.)
"I think there is a parking problem in San Francisco, and I think we need to revisit some of the issues. You know, depending on what part of the city you live in, the parking takes on a different complexion. If you're in a part of the city that is not served by public transit as often as the Downtown area, then you're gonna rely on parking more. And we need to look at that and try to change that. If you're in a part of the city that has a lot of public transit, but somehow it's not reliable enough, or perceived to be not safe enough, then you need to put monies into that. I think it's also a regional issue among the metropolitan transportation commission, and I really lobbied hard for more money for Muni. Muni has a 730-750,000 ridership. I think it deserves more money from regional bodies. At the same time, we need to look at what might convince people to leave their cars. And that would be alternative transportation, such as high speed rail, which is going to be coming to San Francisco we hope next year. Looking at what we can do in terms of bicycle lanes, alternative ways of getting people to and from, and also, I think the dedicated funding to Muni is starting to show improvements, but I think that more improvement is needed. And when that happens, we may in fact be able to reduce that reliance on whether or not there's a parking space or not.

Gordon: "Can I ask just a quick follow-up question? Would you support the construction of parking garages or parking lots in neighborhood commercial corridors, if that's what the residents and the merchants demanded? Like the inner Sunset, or Northbeach, or the Richmond District?"

Ammiano: "It's not my druthers. But believe me, and you know, if you looked at the whole equation and there wasn't that kind of reliable public transit. If they wanted some combination of retail, car share in-fill on top of the parking lot with affordable housing or senior housing, it might take the sting out of it for me. But I would rather work primarily on providing alternatives to that. But, obviously, that should be on the table, because I know it is important to people."

I think Tom Ammiano is the best choice for the next mayor of San Francisco.

I'm providing some clips of him from the debate to give you a better idea about who he is and where he stands on the issues. (Complete transcript available below.)

This clip is from the Mayoral Debate that aired on KPIX Channel 5 on Tuesday, October 14, 2003.

Tom Ammiano On "Care Not Cash" (Small - 6 MB)

Question from Barbara Taylor:

Taylor: "Supervisor Ammiano. Voters, as you well know, passed "Care Not Cash" by a fairly substantial margin. But you opposed its implementation at the Board. As Mayor, would you continue to ignore the wishes of the voters if you don't agree with them?"

Ammiano: "I think that we did honor the wishes of the voter by voting on the "Real Care, Real Services" proposition, or I guess I should say "resolution," passed by the Board at the behest of Supervisor Daly and Ma. We did change the fact that we were saying, not "shelter," but real "housing." And the Mayor signed off on it. So, in my mind, we did honor the will of the voter. And then I think there's a bigger question here too: what was the will of the voter, aside from the very specifics of "Care Not Cash," and that was to provide solutions, which are housing and services. I have worked through the Department of Public Health to get a grant for six million dollars from HUD, working with the Mayor's office, about providing that supportive housing, and that's going to start immediately. And I think that does also honor the will of the voters.

So, while I did oppose "Care Not Cash" in its conception on the ballot, and then the judicial system thought we shouldn't do it, and then our Budget Analyst thought we shouldn't do it -- we still went ahead and did endorse the will of the voters. And we had to make some compromises about that and that's what this situation's all about."

Taylor: "Some might call that just political spin. The real question is: What's your view of when voters pass something? Do you feel that you have an ob(?) that's just advisory in nature? Or that you can put whatever your interpretation might be on the situation and act accordingly?"

Ammiano: "It's not so much my interpretation, but I do think that certainly, primary to me, is honoring what the voters want. And that doesn't just happen out of context. They might want something that's illegal, which is what the judiciary decided. They might want something that really can't happen because they weren't given the full information, as the Budget Analyst has said. So, you know, in honoring the will of the voters, you want to be there for them, and then you also want to take those other things into consideration. Spin or not spin, it's all about solutions. And "Care Not Cash" did have some deficiencies that I think we've taken care of."

I think Tom Ammiano is the best choice for the next mayor of San Francisco.

I'm providing some clips of him from the debate to give you a better idea about who he is and where he stands on the issues. (Complete transcript available below.)

This clip is from the Mayoral Debate that aired on KPIX Channel 5 on Tuesday, October 14, 2003.

Tom Ammiano On Whether He's Become A "Moderate" (Small - 4 MB)

Question from Hank Plante, CBS Channel 5 Political Editor:

Plante: "Supervisor, Good Evening."

Ammiano: "Good Evening."

Plante: "You've lost the earring. You're wearing better suits. We no longer hear you talking about taxing the rich or every stock transaction in the City, as you once did. My question might be obvious to you. Have you moved to the center for political expediency?"

Ammiano: "I think that you can redefine what "the center" is. I remember Diane Feinstein in the early days of her administration, had some very social justice positive positions -- still defined as a "moderate." If she was in Nebraska, she would have been a "Trotsky-ite." So I think there's a perception of relativity there about that. I'm still the same guy I've always been. Certainly I've been in office a long enough time to understand that bringing people together can stop some of the dysfunctions that happen here in San Francisco. Whether it's landlords or tenants, or whether it's the environmentalists vs. Muni, or whether it's AIDS activists vs. Kaiser. I don't know if that's "the center" or not, but I see a wisdom in that, that a mayor needs to have. So, I can't give you a definitive "yes" or "no." I think that "centerness" depends on the eye of the beholder. I think I'm a more "centered" person. Whether I'm in the center of the political spectrum or not, I can't tell you. But I will tell you, I'm still as honest as I've always been and as hard working as I've always been, and that will never change.

So I know nobody really cares right now, with the recall going on and all, but San Francisco's about to vote in a new Mayor this November, and I think it's a pretty important election worth paying attention to.

I'm voting for Tom Ammiano. He's my local rep, and a damn good one at that.

He also doesn't hate poor people, like Gavin Newsome apparently does (arguably, the front runner in the race). As demonstrated by his actions in last year's "Care Not Cash" campaign, Gavin likes to blame the poor for being poor and to take their benefits away without explicitly defining what "services" they are going to get in return...but that's another story. (One with a happy ending actually, because a judge threw out the whole "Care Not Cash" fiasco some months ago!)

Anyway, for this article, that's all beside the point. This puppy's just plain funny.

Update: I just confirmed w/the Ammanio folks that these are real interviews! They are not made up.

(Funny, I guess Ammiano was the only one that got the Bladerunner reference :-)

More Human than Human
A field guide for testing if the San Francisco mayoral candidates are human or not.
By John Holden for The Wave.

Here is the full text of the article in case the link goes bad:

http://www.thewavemag.com/pagegen.php?pagename=article&articleid=24031

More Human than Human
A field guide for testing if the San Francisco mayoral candidates are human or not.
John Holden

Send this Article to a friend! Printer Friendly replicant (rep’-li-kant) n.
1. A genetically engineered creature composed entirely of organic substance designed to look and act human.
2. An android.

With Willie Brown finally leaving his gold (plated), diamond-encrusted throne, there has been no shortage of hats thrown into the mayoral ring. San Francisco politics are now a microcosm of California’s own, greater gubernatorial “challenges.” Rather than confuse you with endorsements, position papers and other outmoded means of political influence, we’ve decided to get to the bottom of the only question that matters: Is a particular candidate human or an insidious replicant, possessed of physical strength and computational abilities far exceeding our own, but lacking empathy and possibly even bent on our destruction as a species?

The only reliable method that we know of for sniffing out replicants is the Voight-Kampff Test, created by Phillip K. Dick in his book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and later used by Harrison Ford’s character, Deckard, in the film Blade Runner. The test uses a series of questions to evoke an emotional response which androids are incapable of having. By the candidates’ responses to this line of questioning, we feel we can say with some certainty whether or not they’re replicants. However, we’re stopping short of recommending that you vote for them or not. After all, though a replicant mayor may be more likely to gouge a supervisor’s eyes out with their thumbs, they have another quality that could be great in an elected official: a four year life span.

SUBJECT 1: ANGELA ALIOTO

The Wave: Reaction time is a factor in this, so please pay attention. Now, answer as quickly as you can.

It’s your birthday. Someone gives you a calfskin wallet. How do you react?
Angela Alioto: I’d accept it.

TW: You’ve got a little boy. He shows you his butterfly collection plus the killing jar. What do you do?
AA: I’d look at it. What do you mean what would I do? As opposed to saying “how horrible?” I would tell him how beautiful it is.

TW: You’re watching television. Suddenly you realize there’s a wasp crawling on your arm.
AA: I’d knock it off. It’s something I’m used to doing in politics [Laughs].

TW: You’re in a desert walking along in the sand when all of the sudden you look down, and you see a tortoise, Angela, it’s crawling toward you. You reach down, you flip the tortoise over on its back, Angela. The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can’t, not without your help. But you’re not helping. Why is that, Angela?
AA: That would never happen. I wouldn’t turn it over in the first place, and the thing with it being in pain is out of the question. Let me ask you, John, how does this fit in to the bigger picture when you ask me about the dying tortoise and the dead butterflies?

TW: They’re just questions, Angela. In answer to your query, they’re written down for me. It’s a test, designed to provoke an emotional response. Shall we continue? Describe in single words, only the good things that come into your mind. About your mother.
AA: My mother? She’s beautiful. She’s an artist. She’s a renaissance artist.

CONCLUSION: Her defensiveness over her lack of empathy for the butterfly is telling, as is the comparison of a political rival to a wasp that should be knocked off. I think we can safely say that Angela Alioto is indeed a replicant, albeit one that “loves” the implanted memory of her mother. Keep an eye on her.

SUBJECT 2: SUSAN LEAL

The Wave: It’s your birthday. Someone gives you a calfskin wallet. How do you react?
Susan Leal: Disappointed.

TW: You’ve got a little boy. He shows you his butterfly collection plus the killing jar. What do you do?
SL: I’d be fascinated.

TW: You’re watching television. Suddenly you realize there’s a wasp crawling on your arm.
SL: I’d kill it.

TW: You’re in a desert walking along in the sand when all of the sudden you look down, and you see a tortoise, Susan, it’s crawling toward you. You reach down, you flip the tortoise over on its back, Susan. The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can’t, not without your help. But you’re not helping. Why is that, Susan?
SL: I don’t know, I must’ve lost my mind.

TW: Describe in single words, only the good things that come into your mind. About your mother.
SL: Honest. Supportive. Liberal. Interesting.

CONCLUSION: The dissociation Susan expressed in response to the tortoise question confirms what we already knew: Susan Leal is a replicant. However, by evaluating her response to the wasp question (word for word as Rachel – totally a replicant – answered it in Blade Runner), we can tell that she’s at least a Nexus 7. If you vote for Susan, you will be electing a replicant, but one of the most highly advanced models available.

SUBJECT 3: MATT GONZALEZ

The Wave: Reaction time is a factor in this, so please pay attention. Now, answer as quickly as you can.

It’s your birthday. Someone gives you a calfskin wallet. How do you react?
Matt Gonzalez: I’m sorry, what kind of wallet?

TW: Calfskin.
MG: Calfskin, I don’t even know what that is.

TW: Do you know what a cow is, Matt?
MG: Yeah.

TW: Baby cow.
MG: Um, I have no idea how I would react.

TW: You’ve got a little boy. He shows you his butterfly collection plus the killing jar. What do you do?
MG: These are great questions. I’m not sure if they’re ideal for 9:00. We were up pretty late at the office. I can only associate to things that I’ve seen or done in my own life….

TW: You’re watching television. Suddenly you realize there’s a wasp crawling on your arm.
MG: I guess I would probably just knock it off.

TW: You’re in a desert walking along in the sand when all of the sudden you look down, and you see a tortoise, Matt, it’s crawling toward you. You reach down, you flip the tortoise over on its back, Matt. The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can’t, not without your help. But you’re not helping. Why is that, Matt?
MG: Well I don’t think I would have knocked it over in the first place and I don’t get any amusement out of making tortoises suffer, so I don’t think that would be me. You must have confused me for one of my opponents.

TW: Shall we continue? Describe in single words, only the good things that come into your mind. About your mother.
MG: Just a positive person, no negative energy at all. Next time could we do this later in the day?

CONCLUSION: Androids do not dream of electric sheep because they don’t sleep, unlike Matt Gonzalez who was up late “working” at the office. His obvious grogginess leads us to the conclusion that he is indeed a human, but one with an ill-formed sleep schedule. Were he a replicant he would have already gouged out six eyeballs, broken in to the genetic design lab and made a trip to the juice bar by this time of the day.

SUBJECT 4: TOM AMMIANO

The Wave: Reaction time is a factor in this, so please pay attention. Now, answer as quickly as you can.

It’s your birthday. Someone gives you a calfskin wallet. How do you react?
Tom Ammiano: I’d look for money.

TW: You’ve got a little boy. He shows you his butterfly collection plus the killing jar. What do you do?
TA: I’d think this was Blade Runner. That’s my reaction.

TW: You’re watching television. Suddenly you realize there’s a wasp crawling on your arm.
TA: Call 911.

TW: You’re in a desert walking along in the sand when all of the sudden you look down, and you see a tortoise, Tom, it’s crawling toward you. You reach down, you flip the tortoise over on its back, Tom. The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can’t, not without your help. But you’re not helping. Why is that, Tom?
TA: That’s interesting. I don’t know. I’m a republican?

TW: Describe in single words, only the good things that come into your mind. About your mother.
TA: Tenderness. Yelling.

CONCLUSION: The self-awareness required to recognize that you’re being administered a Voight-Kampff Test automatically eliminates the possibility of you being a replicant. Good work, Tom! You’re human! Now watch your back.

SUBJECT 5: TONY RIBERA

The Wave: Reaction time is a factor in this, so please pay attention. Now, answer as quickly as you can.

It’s your birthday. Someone gives you a calfskin wallet. How do you react?
Tony Ribera: Good. I’d be happy.

TW: You’ve got a little boy. He shows you his butterfly collection plus the killing jar. What do you do?
TR: I’d ask him to explain it to me.

TW: You’re watching television. Suddenly you realize there’s a wasp crawling on your arm.
TR: Slap it.

TW: You’re in a desert walking along in the sand when all of the sudden you look down, and you see a tortoise, Tony, it’s crawling toward you. You reach down, you flip the tortoise over on its back, Tony. The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can’t, not without your help. But you’re not helping. Why is that, Tony?
TR: Well, I think I would help. I like tortoises. As a former athlete I’ve always been very slow, and I feel I can relate to them.

TW: Describe in single words, only the good things that come into your mind. About your mother.
TR: Happy. Cheerful. Optimistic. Pretty. Fun.

CONCLUSIONS: Inconclusive. While generally empathetic, there is a homey quality to Tony’s answers that are almost too good to be true. As if they were… programmed. Fifty-fifty he’s a skin job.

SUBJECT 6: GAVIN NEWSOM

The Wave: Reaction time is a factor in this, so please pay attention. Now, answer as quickly as you can.

It’s your birthday. Someone gives you a calfskin wallet. How do you react?
Gavin Newsom: I don’t have anything to put in it. I would thank them and move on.

TW: You’ve got a little boy. He shows you his butterfly collection plus the killing jar. What do you do?
GN: I would tell him to… You know what? I wouldn’t know how to respond. How’s that for an answer? Is this a psychological test? I’m worried…

TW: They’re just questions, Gavin. In answer to your query, they’re written down for me. It’s a test, designed to provoke an emotional response.
GN: Oh, I got you.

TW: Shall we continue?
GN: Sure.

TW: You’re watching television. Suddenly you realize there’s a wasp crawling on your arm. How would you react?
GN: I would quietly sit and wait for the wasp to move to the next victim.

TW: You’re in a desert walking along in the sand when all of the sudden you look down, and you see a tortoise, Gavin, it’s crawling toward you. You reach down, you flip the tortoise over on its back, Gavin. The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can’t, not without your help. But you’re not helping. Why is that, Gavin?
GN: [Immediately] Not a chance. I would never flip the tortoise over in the first place.

TW: Describe in single words, only the good things that come into your mind. About your mother.
GN: Ethics. Commitment. Sacrifice.

CONCLUSION: Almost too close to call. Almost. Newsom displays a defensiveness when his empathy is questioned. He’s aware that he’s being probed for emotional responses, and even expresses concern about this. However, this concern is alleviated a little too easily by our crafty V-K interviewer. Newsom is definitely a replicant. Probably a Nexus 5.